Snatch-block.



Nb. 644,729. Patented Mar. 6, I900. W. W. BOUSE.

SNATGH BLOCK.

(Application filed Nov. 15, 1899.)

(No Model.)

I THE NORRIS PETER$ (.L PHOYOUYHO. WASHINGTON, D. l:

. rrn TATES \VALTER W. BOUSE, OF ABERDEEN, \VASHINGTON.

SNATCH-BLOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 644,729, dated March 6,1900.

Application filed November 15, 1899. Serial No. 737,040. (No model.)

To all whom, it mag concern.-

Be it known that I, WALTER W. BOUSE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Aberdeen, county of Ohehalis, State of Washington,haveinvented an Improvement in Snatch- Blocks and I hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to improvements in snatch-blocks of that classhaving one side arranged to be opened, so as to allow the rope or cableto be introduced or removed.

It consists in a novel construction of a shell formed of cast-steel orforged plates, one side being made in two part-s, having the hingedportion and the hinge-pin, which is located below the line of curvatureof the pulley-rim where it crosses the open space, said hinged sideconverging from the pin and forming an essentially-continuouscurve withthe lower part of the divided shell. The upper end of this hingedportion is slotted, and through the slot passes a latch which isfulcrumed in the opposite side of the shell and to which is attached theswivel-pin for the connection of the holding-chain. The latch has aslight depressionwhere it passes through the slot and the hinged portionof the shell, and a pin passing through the outer end of the latchprevents its being accidentally disengaged. The lower shell is rigidwith a hollow pin of large diameter, upon whichthe sheave turns, saidpin being provided with means for containing and gradually dischargingthe lubricant within the sheave. The pin is so secured in the two sidesof the shell as to lock them together and present no projectionsexterior to the shell.

My invention also comprises details of construction', which will be morefully explained by reference to the accompanying drawings, in whichFigure 1 is a view of the block closed and in readiness for the strainto be brought upon the cable. Fig. 2'shows the block open. Fig. 3 is asectional view showing the construction of the journal-pin of thesheave.

The object of my invention is to provide a block which is especiallyvaluable in lumbering districts where logs are hauled by en ginepowerover considerable distances through brush, logs, stumps, and otherobstructions, where it is necessary to frequently change the line oftravel of the log to prevent its being stopped by obstructions.

In order to understand the value of this block, it should be explainedthat in hauling logs to the main road it sometimes takes twelve orfifteen hundred feet of wire cable, the size of which is usuallyseven-eighths of an inch in diameter. Where there is no road to thelogs, the ground is rough and uneven. There are tree-tops, stumps,brush, old logs, 850., so thick that only a trail can be made through itto the logs. This trail will have as many angles as there areobstructions to be avoided. In each angle a lead-block is set to guidethe log to that particular point, and' when the log has been hauled tothis point the cable is let go and the log is dragged to the nextlead-block, the cable is disengaged from the block, and the log isdragged to the next lead-block, where it is stopped, the cable takenfrom this block, and so on, until it is landed at the engine. When theseblocks are anchored to stumps or trees convenient to the line of travelof the log, they may lie horizontally, and when the strain is broughtupon the cable they will be suspended a foot, more or less, from theground. When the engine is stopped, these blocks will drop. They land onroots, stumps, rocks, or uneven ground at the best, perhaps upside down,edgewise, or just as they happen to strike. lVhen the engine again picksup the cable, these blocks must all pull into position, and the heaviestpart of the block will be the last to leave the groundthat is, the endin which the sheave is journaled. The cable is therefore liable to workup toward the hook or cross-head by which the block is held in place,and when pulling around the block at a short angle the cable is liableto bend across the side of the shell in such a manner that it cannotslip down upon the sheave, and it will tear oft the side of the shell orso damage the block that it will have to go to the blacksmith. It is theobject of my invention to so construct this hinged portion of the shellof the block that it will act as a guide to direct the cable down intothe sheave even although it is pulling at a considerable angletransversely and to so construct the latch that it can be easilyreleased to allow the side to open when the cable is to be taken fromthe block.

In the ordinary construction of snatchblocks having the side of theblock carried up above the periphery of the pulley and having theconnection made with links and hooks or equivalent latching devices thestrain upon the cable is so great that it is very difficult to slack itup sufiiciently to disengage it from the block, and whenthe block isopened there is danger that the cable will tearoif the side, whichusually projects above the periphery of the sheave. This will beunderstood when the weight of the cable is taken into consideration.Seven -eighths -inch cable weighs at least two pounds to the foot.Twelve hundred feet of this cable would weigh two thousand four hundredpounds, and when the engine is stopped for the purpose of removing thecable from a sheave, as previously described, it will be necessary totake in sunicient. slack of the cable'to release it from the sheave,which would take four or five men, or even a horse, to do, thus causinggreat delay.

In my block the construction is such that the latch can be released byamovement not more than one-fourth of an inch, and if the cable is pulledsidewise out of the block it will be so guided as to pass over the edgewithout catching or tearingaway the side of the block.

A is one side of the shell,which I will hereinafter designate as theback section, and A is the stationary or lower member of the frontsection of the shell. These two sections of the shell are made ofcast-steel or forged or otherwise-constructed metal and preferably aboutthree-fourths of an inch thick at the center, tapering slightly towardthe edges, each being made in a single piece and having inturned flangesor lugs a at the tail end, which meet and are secured by one or morescrewbolts Z) passing through them to hold these parts together. Thedepth of these lugs is sutlicient to hold the sides of the shell farenough apart to receive the sheave B, which turns upon a hollow pin 0.This pin is made rigid with the back of the shell and screwthreaded atthe opposite end for a length equal to the thickness of the shell andhas a shoulder iformed at the bottom of the screwthreaded portion, sothat when the two parts of the shell are screwed firmly down against theshoulders and the tail end secured by the bolt 1) the structure will berigidly united without any projection beyond the smooth outer surface ofthe shell, so that the blocks may be dragged over rough ground, as theyfrequently are when in use, without catching against the obstructions.The fixed member of the front section A has a hinge-lug A projectingupward from the end of the base upon which the sheave turns, and thishas a hole made transversely through it to receive the pin E, whichconnects the hinged member F with the part A. This hinged member has itsedges rounded and is itself made of a width equal to the width of themember A at its widest portion, and the contour of this hinged member issimilar to that of the upper end of the back section A. Through theupper end of this hinged member is made a slot g, which is adapted toreceive the end of the latch H. The opposite end of this latch ispivoted in the corresponding end of the back section A by a transversepin h passing through the enlarged head of this portion of the shell.The outer end of the latch has a small groove or depression I made init,which when the hinged portion of the front section is in positionengages with it and prevents its slipping otf the latch. A pin J isconnected by a chain with the hinged member of the front section, andwhen this part is engaged with the latch the pin is passed through ahole in the outer end of the latch, which provents the latter from beingaccidentally disengaged.

K is a swiveled head passing through the latch and serving for theattachment of the hook or chain L, through which the sheave is attachedat any point where it is desired to hold it, so that the rope or cablemay lead through the block passing over the sheave where a change ofdirection is required. By this construction the hinged member is soengaged with the latch that it can be easily disengaged afterwithdrawing the pin J by very slightly slackening the tension on thecable, as the latch has to be moved but a slight distance to allow thehinged member to open outward about its hinges. \Vhen the member hasthus opened outwardly, it turns down below the top of the pulley, andthis, together with the rounded edges, allows the cable to pull out ofthe sheave without in any way endangering the block by catching upon anyprojecting part. The strain of pulling logs in this manner is so greatthat it is difficult to properly lubricate the pin upon which the sheaveturns and to preventit from being rapidly worn out.

I have shown the pin 0 made hollow, as previously described, having oneend closed and a spring 0 seated in this end. A piston or plunger-plateP rests upon this spring, and when the axle has been filled with a thicklubricant, such as is employed for the purpose, a plug R is screwed intothe opposite end of the pin until it is flush with or below the end ofthe pin. In thus screwing the plug any pressure upon the thick lubricantwill co1npress the spring 0 by pushing the plate P down against it, andthere will thus be a little elastic pressure at all times, which willtend to force the lubricant out as it is needed through holes S,radiating outwardly in the central part of the pin and within thesheave.

lVhenever necessary by means of a suitable tool the screw-plug R may beturned in a little way, and the pressure upon the lubricant will beagain brought to a sufficient tension to cause it to slowly exude intothe bearing of the sheave.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a snatch-block, a metal sheave-inclosing shell, consisting of asingle back section, a front section comprising a fixed lower member andan upper member hinged thereto having its periphery coincident andcontinuous with the periphery of the fixed member, lugs formed at thetail end of the shell-sections, and abutting to maintain the distancebetween the two, a sheave and a pin upon which it is turnable betweenthe sections of the shell, said pin having a screw-threaded end fittinga correspondingly-threaded opening in the front section, and a shoulderagainst which the inner face of front section abuts and securing meanspassing through the lugs of the tail end.

2. In a snatch-block, a shell including a back section formed rigid witha shouldered pin, threaded at one end, said section having an inturnedlug at the tail end and a slotted head at the opposite end, a frontsection including a lower member having a lug at the tail end abuttingagainst that of the said back section and having hinge-lugs, and amember hinged to said lugs and having a width at the hinge endsubstantially equal to that of the companion member to which it ishinged and by which the hinged member is retained in engagement with thelatch.

3. A snatch-block consisting of a shell composed of a back formed of asingle elliptical section and a front of two transversely-divided hingedmembers, a sheave turnable between the front and back sections, asheavepin having shouldered screw-threaded end fitting correspondingthreads in the front section,corresponding spacing tail-lugs andholding-bolt, a latch hinged to the top of the back section andextending transversely through a slot in the hinged front member, and aswivelbolt turnable in the latch.

4. A snatch-block and a sheave in combination with a hollowradially-pierced screwthreaded sheave-pin by which the sides of theblock are centrally connected, said pin being closed at one end, aspring-pressed piston-plate therein, and an adjustable screwplug at theopposite end.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

WALTER W. BOUSE.

Witnesses:

E. B. BENN, J OHN O. HOGAN.

